Unscheduled Contact
by Kala Sathinee
Summary: A Rebel rescue mission goes awry, leaving Kallus and Zeb a few hours alone in the most unlikely of places. Written as part of the Very Imperial Valentine's Challenge on Tumblr.


**Unscheduled Contact**

* * *

Kallus watched the "waste cargo" crates float away outside the viewport at the edges of his vision. Some of the tension in his chest released. The crates were away, which meant the prisoners were away, which meant another mission was complete with no complications. By the time Admiral Konstantine realized where his prisoners had ended up, they would be back with the Rebel fleet. No mess, no fuss, and no evidence of Kallus' involvement.

He glanced down at Lyste's datapad and the holoprojected security footage. In cell after cell, rebel pilots and fighters and tacticians leapt to their feet and fled into the hall. Never once did their liberator step into view.

"Where's the footage from the hall?" he snapped.

Lyste deflated. "The hall cameras were destroyed, sir."

Kallus snarled to cover the smile that threatened to surface. He'd made sure that those cameras not on the standard cellblock plans were disabled prior to the infiltration, and Lyste's footage confirmed that they hadn't been rebooted. "Clever." He stopped the playback, the holo frozen on Cassian Andor's bruised face. "They'll need ships. Check all the trash chutes, maintenance halls, and ventilation shafts between the detention block and the hangars."

"Yes, sir." Lyste jogged away down the hall, fumbling for his comlink.

Kallus withdrew his own. _Now for the coup de grace._ "Admiral Konstantine, this is Agent Kallus. I recommend making our jump to hyperspace now. We can trap the rebels aboard."

" _Good thinking, Agent. Captain Pellaeon, take us to hyperspace_."

Outside the viewport, starlines blurred to white and then to the whirling blue of hyperspace—leaving crates and rebels safely behind. Kallus allowed himself a grin, then turned toward his office.

{f{u{l{c{r{u{m{

* * *

Just outside the executive quarters, Kallus pulled out his datapad, opening the reports from his search teams. He skimmed, already knowing they would have found nothing. He sent off a short request to Grand Admiral Thrawn to expand the search of the _Chimaera_ , then set his notifications to urgent-only. He hadn't had a chance to sleep in thirty-six hours. An extended search would give him a chance to shut himself in his office awaiting updates.

A throat cleared in the maintenance accessway and Kallus jumped. Fears of discovery danced in his mind and his hand made an abortive twitch toward the blaster on his belt.

"Oy, Freckles, relax. It's me."

Ice dropped into Kallus' stomach. He whirled, thanking every star that moronic ISB regulations forbid surveillance systems from being placed in the officers' quarters or hallways. "Why are you still here?!" he hissed.

Zeb took a step forward, his green eyes flicking up to check for cameras. His Bo-rifle was in one hand, the other planted on his hip. He was wearing the drab jumpsuit of an Imperial slave labourer, but the meat on his bones, the fire in his eyes, and the weapon in his hand made the lie of that obvious. The effect would have been comical if Kallus hadn't been drowning in dread.

"Plans changed," Zeb replied, voice low. "I couldn't get out, but I've got a pick-up ready at the other end of this jump." He shrugged. "I just need to lay low for five hours."

Kallus stared at him. "On Grand Admiral Thrawn's personal Star Destroyer?"

"Why not? _You're_ here."

"I'm not purple and hairy."

"That's what this is for." Zeb tugged at his jumpsuit.

Kallus crossed his arms. "Where's your escort, then?"

Zeb smirked, then slumped, eyes sinking to the floor. "I don't know, sir. I just go where I'm told." The change in his voice and bearing was incredible. It might even have been believable if he hadn't been holding a rifle. Kallus looked up and down the hallway. Empty; good. He shoved his datapad back in his pocket.

"My quarters. Quickly."

Adrenaline crawled under his skin as they stepped through the brightly-lit hall together. His heart thundered like an AT-AT's tread and he sent a plea to the Force that no one would come around the corner. He jammed his code cylinder into the reader, shoved Zeb through the open door, then locked it behind both of them.

The office lights came up automatically. Kallus did a reflexive once-over for signs that the room had been searched, then checked that his bug-scrambler was still functioning. He let out a breath and slumped to lean on his desk. The adrenaline buzz moved from his skin to his stomach, settling like a durasteel lump.

"A five hour layover aboard the _Chimaera_ and they send _you_? Has General Sato lost his mind?"

"Actually, I volunteered."

Kallus turned, scowling. "Tell me you didn't do all this just to see me."

"There's a bit more to it than that." Zeb dropped his Bo-rifle on the desk. "But the less you know, the better."

"The less I know, the less I can help." He tried to keep his tone disapproving, but fondness crept in, unbidden, at the edges.

Zeb stepped closer, just tall enough that Kallus had to look up to meet his eyes. "I'll tell you later. Not like we can do anything while we're in hyperspace, anyway."

Despite the awful jumpsuit, Kallus felt himself flush as Zeb loomed into his space. His heart was thumping again. The heat in his skin settled low in his abdomen and throbbed with his pulse. And Zeb... Zeb was smirking, damn him.

"I can think of a few things we can do in hyperspace." Kallus leaned back ever so slightly, just enough to entice.

Zeb chuckled, arms bracketing Kallus as he leaned over him. "So can I." He ducked his head and kissed the soft flesh just above Kallus' uniform collar. Kallus shivered as their bodies pressed together. His jodhpurs were starting to pinch.

He slipped his hands around to the small of Zeb's back, drawing out a low growl. "If we keep doing this, someone's eventually going to catch us."

"What? Scared Thrawn's gonna burst in here while I'm balls deep?"

"Yes."

Zeb drew back to look him in the eye. "Does he usually barge into your private quarters?"

"No. He'd call ahead." Kallus pressed his fingers into the base of Zeb's spine, circling where he knew he was extra sensitive. Zeb's hips bucked and Kallus smiled. "Which is why I'm not suggesting we stop." He tipped his head up to kiss Zeb and it was returned with enthusiasm. He felt Zeb smile when he brought his hands up to cup his face.

One of Zeb's large hands settled on Kallus' back, pressing them close together. Kallus groaned, a sound that was choked off when Zeb's thigh nudged up between his own to grind against his groin.

Kallus broke the kiss, breathing hard. "Bedroom. Through that door." He gestured toward the sealed doorway. Zeb glanced over, stepped back, then, without warning, scooped Kallus off his feet. Kallus managed not to yelp, but he did snag fistfuls of Zeb's jumpsuit.

The door hissed open and hissed closed and Zeb tossed him onto his bed. The narrow bunk was not as comfortable as it could have been, but at that particular moment Kallus found it hard to care. This wasn't the first time they'd snuck away for a desperate, hasty shag, but it was the first time that shag would be happening in a bed. It was definitely an improvement on last time's supply closet floor.

Zeb was already out of the Imperial jumpsuit and undoing his belt and Kallus followed suit, tossing his belt and gloves to the floor and reaching for the fastenings on his uniform tunic. The Imperial Decorum Manual demanded that all rank insignia, code cylinders, and medals were to be removed before the removal of the tunic. He smiled as he tossed the white garment into a corner, his rank bar clanking against the deck.

"Uniform violation?" Zeb clucked in mock disapproval. "Naughty, naughty."

Kallus let out a soft huff of a laugh and feigned shame. "I know. It's dreadful. Fucking a rebel is one thing, but disrespecting the uniform of the Imperial Security Bureau..."

"Unthinkable," Zeb said. He unzipped his own green jumpsuit, exposing the scarred chest and shoulders beneath. He didn't remove it fully, moving on to his greaves and gloves and leaving the jumpsuit hanging on his hips. Kallus paused in tugging off his boots to rake his eyes over Zeb's finely-muscled abdomen—the short, soft, purple hair and the whitish-lavender burn scars, the three darker lavender nipples, the fourth obliterated by the largest of the scars. A scar which very nearly mirrored his own. His was fainter—he'd had access to a Bacta tank, Zeb hadn't—but the size and shape of the scar was almost the same.

They really were a matching set.

Zeb met his eyes. "Enjoying the view?"

"Always." Kallus grinned, swinging his legs off the bed and bumping the controls for the boot-block built into the bunk. He wedged his heels in and slid his feet free in a smooth, practiced motion.

Zeb raised a brow. "Always wondered how you got those off."

"They're a pain, but at least they look nice."

"I'm not gonna dispute that." Zeb shucked off his jumpsuit and moved to lean over Kallus, smirking as he pushed him back onto the bed, scooped his legs up so he was on properly, then crawled on after him. Kallus felt his breathing deepen again and saw Zeb's cock already emerging from its sheath—hard and reddish-purple. His own cock twitched at the sight. He went to run his hands over Zeb's shoulders but Zeb started pushing off his undershirt. The grey garment joined the tunic in the corner and Kallus started undoing the catch on his black jodhpurs. Zeb's lips found the join of neck and jaw and Kallus felt sharp canines graze his skin. He hummed, tipping his head to allow Zeb greater access. The second the button released, one of Zeb's hands slid down his side to snag the waistband and tug down both the jodhpurs and the briefs beneath. Kallus' cock sprung free; Zeb wrestled his pants completely off, tossed them to the floor, and ground their naked hips together. Kallus groaned and pulled him into a breathless kiss.

It was hardly a luxurious pace, but it was slower by far than the frantic rush of their trysts in supply closets or shuttle holds. There'd never been time to undress then—just to undo shirts and trousers and expose what they needed. This was better. So much better.

One of Zeb's hands was in Kallus' hair, the other running over his arm and chest and armpit. He broke the kiss. "So you humans _do_ have some body hair then."

Kallus laughed. "You don't appreciate pink and naked?"

"It took some getting used to." Zeb ducked to nibble at a collarbone and Kallus slid his hands down his soft-furred back. Zeb growled, low and deep in his throat. He'd extended fully; Kallus could feel him. "You got anything?" he mumbled into the skin of Kallus' chest.

"Blue button," he replied, gesturing to the side of the bed.

Zeb glanced over, found the button, and pressed. The drawer hissed open and Zeb grinned. "Condoms, lube, and a blaster. Life's little necessities, eh?"

Kallus snorted. "Something like that. Unfortunately, all they have on Imperial ships are human sizes. I doubt those'll fit you."

Zeb inspected the condom package and laughed. "Yeah. Not likely. You okay without 'em?"

"I'm not carrying any venereal diseases. You?"

"My love life hasn't been that interesting." He dropped the box and grabbed the tube of lubricant next to it. "I'm good if you are."

Kallus reached between them to wrap his hand around Zeb's shaft and he grinned wolfishly. "Have at me."

Zeb rose to his knees and popped open the tube, pouring lube into his palm and slicking himself. Kallus hooked his left leg up around Zeb's hip as one large fingertip spread more over his entrance, pressing briefly. Thankfully Lasat cocks were tapered enough that he didn't need stretching, because there was no way he could have accommodated one of Zeb's very large, furry, clawed fingers. They'd laughed about that their first time. Fingering just wasn't something Lasat did.

Zeb pressed in, the head of his cock sliding in without difficulty, but Kallus nevertheless gasped, head thumping against the bed as it dropped back. The rigid barb-like bumps on the head and along the length of Zeb's cock hadn't felt like much when there'd been a condom between them. But without one...

"Fuck, that's amazing." He clutched at a fistful of the sheets, blinking up at the ceiling, Zeb's ears flicking contentedly at the lower edges of his vision. He felt Zeb's tongue sweep up his throat, over his pulse, as he rocked his hips—sliding slightly deeper as Kallus relaxed. The bumps didn't scratch—it was a delicious, tickling friction. Zeb's head passed over Kallus' prostate and Kallus gave a loud moan.

Zeb lowered down atop him, bottoming out inside him as Kallus relaxed completely. "Stars, you feel good." His voice was a hoarse whisper, his breath hot on Kallus' shoulder.

Kallus buried his face in the crook of Zeb's neck. They were still for a moment, silent save for their panting. At Zeb's first proper thrust, Kallus wrapped his arms around the other man, gripping at his fur. He felt full—so full, and the slide of the bumps in and out was almost too much. He shuddered, kissing Zeb's throat. Zeb thrust again, more vigorously, and they both groaned.

"Karabast..." Zeb growled. "We've got all this time and I feel like I could blow right this second."

"So do I," Kallus breathed.

Zeb kept the pace slow, thrusting in hard but drawing out slow, until the sharp edge of imminent orgasm subsided. Kallus was supremely grateful for soundproof shipboard bulkheads as neither he nor Zeb was quiet. And this was _not_ how he wanted Thrawn to find out he was the rebel spy. Goodbye dignity, hello summary execution.

He lost track of time as they moved together on his narrow bunk. He met Zeb's thrusts, kissing him until they couldn't go without breath any longer, and then panting against the side of his head until they'd both caught their breath enough to continue. Zeb was rather fond of kissing; Kallus had never been much of a kisser, but now… Well, evidently he hadn't been kissing the right people. Kissing Zeb was the farthest thing from a chore he could imagine.

It was harder to catch his breath as their pace increased. Panting became gasping and Kallus was dimly aware that the desperate, breathless noises leaving him were jumping in pitch. Zeb's thrusts came faster and harder; he grunted on a particularly deep one, the sound sending a pleasant shiver down Kallus' spine. Every muscle in his body was tensed tight.

"Just… a little faster, Zeb."

Zeb thrust, barbs sliding up and down Kallus' prostate once, twice, three times and his muscles released. He clenched down on Zeb, spilling between them, hips jerking. Zeb groaned into his neck, jerking his hips forward a few more times before coming with a deep growl. He immediately started to pull back as the base of his cock began to swell, but Kallus held him in place.

"Stay. I can handle it."

"Sure?" Zeb's voice was so breathy it barely sounded like him.

"Yes." Kallus' wasn't any better.

Zeb slid back in completely and drooped against Kallus, his weight pinning Kallus down in a way he found oddly pleasurable. Zeb's knot swelled, inside Kallus this time, and he drew a sharp intake of breath as it reached its peak. His toes curled, his body trying to clench around it before relaxing. The pressure sent a weak aftershock through him; he hummed a close-mouthed moan into Zeb's neck.

"You okay, Freckles?"

"More than okay." Kallus felt limp and spent, but he draped his arms over Zeb's shoulders despite how leaden they felt.

"It'll be a while before it goes down…"

Kallus turned his head to kiss Zeb's cheek. "We have time."

Zeb smiled, pressed his forehead to Kallus' and closed his eyes.

{f{u{l{c{r{u{m{

* * *

They were still lying together on Kallus' bunk. Once they'd been able to part, Zeb had gone in to the refresher and fetched a cloth to clean them up, and not long after that, Kallus had drifted off. Three hours later he'd woken up with Zeb curled behind him and the blanket thrown over them. Zeb had been reading some old Thyferran holonovel on his datapad, but he put it down when Kallus stirred.

"Haven't been sleeping much, have you?"

Kallus blinked and shook his head. "I've been busy." He yawned, but it didn't do much to clear the cobwebs.

Zeb smiled. "I hadn't realized you kept that meteor."

Kallus followed his eyes up to the shelf above them and the glowing yellow rock sitting in the center of it. He shrugged sheepishly. "It gave off heat and light. I thought it would be… useful." He felt a flush rise on his cheeks and Zeb's grin got wider.

"You're cute."

Kallus pulled a face, but didn't pull away when Zeb pulled him in for a kiss. Once they parted he sat up fully, ignoring the twinge in his backside, and looked around. "So. You said you'd tell me why you were still here."

Zeb's ears shifted in a way Kallus knew signalled nervousness. "I'm on a rescue mission."

"I know th…"

"But plans changed, and now I'm rescuing you too."

He held Zeb's gaze as duranium dropped into his chest. "Me?"

"Yeah." Zeb grimaced. "We received intel that Thrawn had identified the spy in his midst. He was going to use you to pass along bad intel until we figured him out, and once you weren't any use anymore..."

"I'd be arrested and executed."

"We couldn't warn you; he'd be monitoring everything you send or receive. Someone had to come get you. And this mission was going ahead anyway. It gave us the perfect opportunity. I just had to stay aboard a tad longer."

Kallus stared into the blanket, not really seeing it. He thought back to that morning—to the unnerving smile Thrawn had worn when they'd spoken. To the raptor gleam in Governor Pryce's eyes and the twitch of a snarl from Admiral Konstantine. They'd known. They'd known and he hadn't seen the signs. He'd been dancing on a razor's edge without even knowing.

"So what's the plan?"

One of Zeb's hands came to rest on Kallus' shoulder and squeezed. "Once we drop out of hyperspace, we get in the nearest escape pod and head for the moon. Hera'll be waiting around back, out of sensor range."

It wasn't a bad plan. They'd have the element of surprise, and TIEs wouldn't be ready to deploy so soon after a jump. Not when they weren't expecting combat at the other end. They didn't have an Interdictor with them, and as long as Hera flew in the opposite direction from the _Chimaera_ , the Destroyer would never be able to turn in time to pursue them. Provided this wasn't all some elaborate trap of Thrawn's.

"The nearest pods are fifty meters down the corridor," Kallus said, then looked at Zeb. "What if they start shooting? The pods are unshielded. One turbolaser blast…"

Zeb laughed. "I seem to recall the two of us being able to pilot an escape through some interesting manoeuvres."

"Fair." He sighed. "This is mad, Zeb."

"I know. That's why I came."

Kallus raised his eyebrows. "Really? I thought you came for this." He gestured at the discarded clothes and rumbled sheets.

Zeb's chuckle was warm and low. "Pack your stuff."

{f{u{l{c{r{u{m{

* * *

One turbolaser blast did come perilously close, but their wild, juking flight kept them clear. They sailed out of range of the batteries and were coming around the moon by the time TIE fighters started pouring from their hangars. The _Chimaera_ 's engines were at full thrust, turning her bulk as fast as possible, but it wasn't fast enough. The _Ghost_ was waiting exactly where Zeb had expected. Hera scooped them up like cargo, jumping the second the magnetic locks read green. It was a short jump; they came out over Noquivzor to transfer from the pod to the _Ghost_ and dump the pod. Now they were back in hyperspace, on route to Atollon.

Kallus stood as Captain Syndulla stepped into the room. He hadn't known what to expect, but a warm smile hadn't been it.

"Good to see you in one piece, Agent Fulcrum."

"Good to _be_ in one piece, Captain."

Zeb crossed his arms, looking smug. "I told you it'd work."

Hera shook her head, but the smile remained. "Welcome to the Rebellion, Kallus."


End file.
